2026 LeadingAge Nebraska Awards

We are excited to announce the 2026 LeadingAge Nebraska Awards! Award nominations will be open from January 2 - February 2, 2026. The LeadingAge Nebraska awards recognize and honor members and individuals across Nebraska who have strengthened the field of aging services and embodied excellence in leadership and service to older adults. Award winners will receive recognition at the LeadingAge Nebraska Annual Conference at our awards ceremony on March 17, 2026, in Kearney, Nebraska. 

Please submit your nominations using the nomination form. Also, don’t forget to ensure your organization has submitted a nomination for the Changemakers Award.   

We will be giving awards in the following categories: 

• Changemaker Awards (2026 ONLY): Each LeadingAge Nebraska Provider Member is invited to nominate one participant for the Changemaker Awards to celebrate our conference theme. We invite you to nominate one person who leads with creativity, courage, and compassion. These awards are intended for direct-care staff who work closely with those you serve. CLICK HERE for more information about the 2026 Changemakers Awards.
• Excellence in Care and Service: This award is presented to a member’s direct service personnel who demonstrates remarkable commitment to the elders they serve. This recipient shows compassion, makes meaningful contributions, mentor’s new employees, tackle problems in fresh ways, is open to change and goes the extra mile to enhance the lives of the elders they serve. Recipients of this award must be connected to a LeadingAge Nebraska Provider Member.
• Leadership in Aging Services: Leadership can come from every level of an organizations. This award celebrates an individual who has shown outstanding leadership within their organization by advocating for older adults, high-quality care and ethical standards. Recipients of this award must be connected to a LeadingAge Nebraska Provider Member.
• Lifetime Achievement: This award recognizes one LeadingAge Nebraska member, active or retired, who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and passion in expanding possibilities for aging in Nebraska. This person is a natural ambassador for their community and a trusted voice and advocate in the field of aging services. Recipients of this award must be connected to a LeadingAge Nebraska Provider Member. 
• Friends of Aging Services: This award recognizes a state partner, business associate, government or elected official that has shown an outstanding commitment to older adults and long-term care services in Nebraska. This individual has supported the LTC field in a remarkable way in their personal or professional life. Nominations for this award can be an individual or organization and do not need to be affiliated by membership to LeadingAge Nebraska. 
• Ron Jensen Memorial Award for Advocacy and Public Policy: This award recognizes an individual or organization that has been a powerful advocate for aging services, influencing public policy, raising awareness, or leading initiatives that lift up long term care providers across the state. This award is given in honor of our former CEO, Ron Jensen. Ron spent many years as the leader of LeadingAge Nebraska and was a strong advocate in the legislature. Ron continued to support LeadingAge Nebraska as our lobbyist. The lobbyist firm that Ron started, now led by Kent Rogert, represents LeadingAge Nebraska members. Nominations for this award can be an individual or organization that is either a business or provider member. 

Award recipients will be chosen by our selection committee and honored at the Annual Award Luncheon on March 17, 2026 (day 1 of the Annual Conference & Expo) in Kearney, Nebraska.